The Supreme Court on Friday held that all decisions made by the industrial court can be appealed at the Court of Appeal.

A five-man panel of the apex court said the Court of Appeal had exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all decisions of the NIC.

The panel said the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal goes beyond hearing and determining all civil appeals on decisions of fundamental human rights, but also decisions of the NIC.

Justice Centus Nweze read, “Whether the Court of Appeal, as an appellate court created by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has the jurisdiction, to the exclusion of any other court of law in Nigeria, to hear and determine appeals arising from decisions of the NIC.”

Justice Nweze ruled, “The lower court, that is, the Court of Appeal, has the jurisdiction, to the exclusion of any other court in Nigeria, to hear and determine all appeals arising from the decisions of the trial court.

“No constitutional provision expressly divested the said Court of Appeal of its appellate jurisdiction over all decisions on civil matters emanating from the trial court.

“And, as a corollary, the jurisdiction of the court to hear and determine all civil appeal on decisions of the National Industrial Court is not limited to only fundamental human rights.

“These shall be the opinions of this court and shall be transmitted to the Lagos division of the Court of Appeal for its guidance in determining the appeal before it.”

Azeez